Breezin'

{{about|the album by George Benson|the album by Sonny Red|Breezing (album)}}

{{Infobox album

| name = Breezin'

| type = Album

| cover = Breezin_GB.jpg

| alt =

| released = March 19, 1976{{cite web |title=Album Picks |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/70s/76/RR-1976-04-03.pdf |website=WorldRadioHistory.com |publisher=Record World |access-date=2 September 2021 |date=April 3, 1976 |pages=16}}

| recorded = January 6–8, 1976

| venue =

| studio = Capitol (Hollywood)

| genre = Smooth jazz

| length = {{Duration|m=38|s=42}}

| label = Warner Bros.

| producer = Tommy LiPuma

| prev_title = Benson & Farrell

| prev_year = 1976

| next_title = In Flight

| next_year = 1977

| misc = {{Singles

| name = Breezin'

| type = Studio album

| single1 = This Masquerade

| single1date = 1977

| single2 = Breezin'

| single2date = 1977

}}

Breezin' is the fifteenth studio album by jazz/soul guitarist and vocalist George Benson. It is his debut on Warner Bros. Records. It not only was a Billboard Jazz Albums chart-topper but also went to number 1 on the Pop and R&B charts. It was certified triple platinum, making it one of the best-selling jazz albums of all time.

Commercial performance

Breezin' marked the beginning of Benson's most successful period commercially, topping the Billboard Pop, Jazz and R&B album charts.{{AllMusic |class=album |tab=charts-awards|id=r30393 |label=Breezin' Billboard Albums}} It spun off two hit singles, the title song (which has become a fusion jazz standard) and "This Masquerade", which was a top ten pop and R&B hit.{{AllMusic |class=album |tab=charts-awards/billboard-single |id=r30393 |label=Breezin' Billboard Singles}} The album has since been certified as 3× Multi-Platinum by the RIAA.{{cite certification|region=United States|artist=George Benson|title=Breezin|type=album}}

The album garnered multiple nominations and awards at the 19th Annual Grammy Awards. The album won the awards Best Pop Instrumental Performance for Benson and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical for Al Schmitt and was nominated as Album of the Year for Tommy LiPuma and Benson. "This Masquerade" received the award Record of the Year for LiPuma and Benson, while it was nominated as Song of the Year for Leon Russell and as Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male for Benson.{{cite web |url= http://www.grammy.com/nominees/search?artist=&title=&year=1976&genre=All |title=Past Winners Search {{pipe}} GRAMMY.com – 1976 |work=grammy.com |access-date=28 August 2011}}

Critical reception

{{Music ratings

|rev1 = AllMusic

|rev1score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{AllMusic |class=album |tab=review |id=r30393 |first=Richard S. |last=Ginell |label=Breezin' - George Benson |accessdate=7 March 2010}}

|rev3 = The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings

|rev3score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite book|last = Cook|first = Richard|author-link = Richard Cook (journalist)|author2 = Brian Morton|author2-link = Brian Morton (Scottish writer)|title = The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings|edition = 9th|series = The Penguin Guide to Jazz|year = 2008|publisher = Penguin|location = London|isbn = 978-0-14-103401-0 | page = 113}}

|rev2 = Christgau's Record Guide

|rev2Score = C{{cite book|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|year=1981|title=Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies|publisher=Ticknor & Fields|isbn=089919026X|chapter=Consumer Guide '70s: B|chapter-url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_chap.php?k=B&bk=70|access-date=21 February 2019}}

}}

In a contemporaneous review for The Village Voice, music critic Robert Christgau gave the album a "C" and dismissed most of its music as "mush".{{cite news|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|date=14 June 1976|url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv6-76.php|title=Christgau's Consumer Guide|newspaper=The Village Voice|location=New York|access-date=27 May 2013}} In a retrospective review, Allmusic's Richard S. Ginell gave it three-and-a-half out of five stars and said that, although Benson's guitar is "as assured and fluid as ever", Breezin{{'}} is "really not so much a breakthrough as it is a transition album; the guitar is still the core of his identity".

Track listing

{{track listing

|headline= Side one

|title1=Breezin'|writer1=Bobby Womack|length1=5:40

|title2=This Masquerade|writer2=Leon Russell|length2=8:03

|title3=Six to Four|writer3=Phil Upchurch|length3=5:06

}}

{{track listing

|headline= Side two

|title1=Affirmation|writer1=José Feliciano|length1=7:01

|title2=So This Is Love?|writer2=George Benson|length2=7:03

|title3=Lady|writer3=Ronnie Foster|length3=5:49

}}

Personnel

George Benson – guitar, vocals
Jorge Dalto – acoustic piano, clavinet, acoustic piano solo (2)
Ronnie Foster – electric piano, Minimoog, Minimoog solo (3), electric piano solo (5)
Phil Upchurch – rhythm guitar, bass guitar (1, 3)
Stanley Banks – bass guitar (2, 4{{endash}}6)
Harvey Mason – drums
Ralph MacDonald – percussion
Claus Ogerman – arrangements and conductor

Production

Tommy LiPuma – producer
Noel Newbolt – associate producer
Al Schmitt – recording, mixing
Don Henderson – assistant engineer
Doug Sax – mastering at the Mastering Lab (Hollywood, California).
Ed Thrasher – art direction
Robert Lockhart – art direction
Peter Palombi – design
Mario Casilli – photography

Charts

=Weekly charts=

scope="col" \| Chart (1976–78) ! scope="col" \| Peak position
class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
{{album chart\|Canada\|9\|chartid=4295a\|rowheader=true\|access-date=January 4, 2025}}
{{album chart\|New Zealand\|9\|artist=George Benson\|album=Breezin'\|rowheader=true\|access-date=November 9, 2021}}
{{album chart\|Billboard200\|1\|artist=George Benson\|rowheader=true\|access-date=November 9, 2021}}
{{album chart\|BillboardRandBHipHop\|1\|artist=George Benson\|rowheader=true\|access-date=November 9, 2021}}

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

scope="col" | Chart (2021)

! scope="col" | Peak
position

{{album chart|BillboardJazz|12|artist=George Benson|rowheader=true|access-date=November 9, 2021}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

scope="col" | Chart (1976)

! scope="col" | Position

{{album chart|Canada|69|chartid=5175|rowheader=true|access-date=January 4, 2025|refname=CA_YE}}

scope="row" | US Billboard 200{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1976/top-billboard-200-albums |title=Billboard 200 Albums - Year-End |magazine=Billboard |access-date=November 9, 2021 }}

| 19

scope="row" | US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard){{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1976/top-r-and-b-hip-hop-albums |title=Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums - Year-End |magazine=Billboard |access-date=November 9, 2021 }}

| 4

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

scope="col" | Chart (1977)

! scope="col" | Position

scope="row" | New Zealand Albums (RMNZ){{cite web |url=https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/annual-albums/1977-12-31 |title=Top Selling Albums of 1977 — The Official New Zealand Music Chart |publisher=Recorded Music New Zealand |access-date=November 9, 2021 }}

| 33

scope="row" | US Billboard 200{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1977/top-billboard-200-albums |title=Billboard 200 Albums - Year-End |magazine=Billboard |access-date=November 9, 2021 }}

| 26

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

scope="col" | Chart (1978)

! scope="col" | Position

scope="row" | New Zealand Albums (RMNZ){{cite web|url=https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/annual-albums/1978-12-31|title=Top Selling Albums of 1978 — The Official New Zealand Music Chart|publisher=Recorded Music New Zealand|access-date=January 26, 2022}}

| 35

Certifications and sales

{{certification Table Entry|region=Australia|artist=George Benson|title=Breezin'|award=Platinum|number=2|type=album|relyear=1976|certyear=1996|access-date=November 28, 2021}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Japan|artist=George Benson|title=Breezin'|type=album|nocert=true|salesamount=43,090|relyear=1976|salesref={{cite book|title=Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970-2005|publisher=Oricon Entertainment|location=Roppongi, Tokyo|year=2006|isbn=4-87131-077-9}}}}

{{certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|artist=George Benson|title=Breezin'|award=Silver|type=album|relyear=1976|certyear=1978|id=1077-3515-2|access-date=December 12, 2021}}

{{certification Table Entry|region=United States|artist=George Benson|title=Breezin'|award=Platinum|number=3|type=album|relyear=1976|certyear=1984|access-date=November 9, 2021}}